The European Commission regrets that, despite substantial progress, Parliament and Council could not agree on the few outstanding issues at yesterday's trialogue on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The Member States around the Baltic Sea basin have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding underlining their joint commitment to making the best use of the possibilities presented by the new CFP's promotion of regionalisation.

The overall objective of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is to make fishing sustainable - environmentally, economically and socially. The new policy will bring fish stocks back to sustainable levels and will stop wasteful fishing practices.

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, has welcomed today’s final vote of the European Parliament in support of a new, reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the EU that she initiated in July 2011. The vote means that the CFP reform has been officially adopted and will now be applied throughout European Union waters as of 1 January 2014.

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs has welcomed the agreement on a new, reformed fisheries policy for the EU reached between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The agreement marks the culmination of an extended process which begun with a lengthy consultation process that in turn led to an ambitious 2011 package of reform proposals by the European Commission.